Karen Gadd

Managing Director

 

Karen_Gadd_Full_Resolution-1

Thousands of engineers, scientists & business people have learned TRIZ from Karen and her Oxford Creativity colleagues since 1998. As the founder of Oxford Creativity, she has taught Oxford TRIZ learning and problem solving in many major global companies - Rolls-Royce, Sanofi, MBDA, SBM, Saint Gobain, BAE Systems and more. Karen selected and trained all the Oxford Creativity workshop leaders and developed all the Oxford TRIZ materials.

Karen studied Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, and has an MBA from London Business School. After working in strategy and corporate planning in the City of London she returned to live in Oxford and was a tutor at Oxford's business school the European School of Management ESCP (based in Paris, Oxford, Madrid and Berlin). From 1995-2002 she was a Governor of Coventry University. Karen also founded and ran both MUSIC at OXFORD and the European Union Baroque Orchestra - these successful music organisations still flourish.

Karen has worked on nothing but TRIZ since discovering and learning its power to give us all the routes, to all the solutions, to all problems. In 1998 Karen started Oxford Creativity to concentrate on developing simple and practical TRIZ problem solving for the European market. 

Karen is married, has four children and lives happily in Oxford and the Lake District. Concerts and singing are still part of her interests and activities, as well as speaking at conferences throughout the world on the success and power of TRIZ. Karen's book TRIZ for Engineers: Enabling Inventive Problem Solving published by WileyBlackwell in 2011, has now been translated into Korean, German, and Hebrew.

Fact File

When did you join the Oxford Creativity team?

I founded the company in 1998

What year was your photo taken?

2021

Before Oxford Creativity...

Studied at Imperial College and Business School. Worked in the City and then returned to Oxford. Founded and ran MUSIC at OXFORD and the European Union Baroque Orchestra.

What are you most proud of?

Developing simple and practical TRIZ problem solving for the European market.

What does your Oxford Creativity work involve?

Running a busy and lively company, developing new opportunities and client relationships.

Please reflect on your role

Since founding Oxford Creativity 20 years ago and developing Oxford TRIZ my role has changed from ‘bottling’ the logic and best ways of TRIZ problem solving through our books, publications and training materials to opening up new markets for our powerful products. This has involved running workshops for many different groups on all kinds of challenges including for Cathedrals on recruitment of younger members, gender equality in Oxford University, engineering talent retention in Aerospace and improving the engineering in BAE Systems.One of the areas I am most proud of is our workshop success in getting quiet, reserved individuals in technical teams to share knowledge / experience and enthusiastically contribute and be communicative in our problem solving sessions.

Home and Hobbies

Music (singing in choirs). Finding time to develop Oxford TRIZ for children. RSCM Oxford Education Officer. 7 grandchildren.

Likes

The Lake District and tranquil places. Good concerts and theatre.

Dislikes

Musak and bad acoustics in public places and restaurants.

Everyone at Oxford Creativity will always remember that...

I am an enigma of 'inspirational chaos' linked to a passion for 'systematic TRIZ'.

Job or role title

Managing Director

Contact details

   +44 (0)1993 882461

   @trustTRIZ

   /karen-gadd-179440